It?s obvious watching and listening to a jovial Emerson Fittipaldi talk about his car on video that he?s passionate and knowledgeable about every piece. He has the air of a man living out his personal fantasy?in this case, building a reliable race-capable supercar for drivers of all levels. The two-time Formula 1 world driving champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 victor chose the Geneva auto show to unveil the first prototype to emerge from Fittipaldi Motors: the Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo by Pininfarina.
The Brazilian race-car driver, the Italian design firm, and German engineering company HWA came together for this special project with the prototypical modern supercar ingredients in mind: high power, low weight, and a slippery downforce-driven design. The result is a vehicle that could stand in pit road alongside cars like the Ferrari LaFerrari, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus?s SCG 003S, the Ford GT, and even the Aston Martin Red Bull Valkyrie. Race cars have a purpose-driven,  functional design that sticks out. According to Fittipaldi, the car has a shark theme: aggressive and streamlined but with a grace in motion. About three years in the works, the shape came from the pens and sculpting tools at famed design firm Pininfarina, as did the chassis. It uses a carbon-fiber body over a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis to create a lightweight yet rigid and safe package. Fittipaldi claims it weighs about 2200 pounds all told with weight distribution of 52 per...